There is a growing divide within the ruling party as Kenya’s parliament prepares to vote on Tuesday to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office.
The 59-year-old deputy to President William Ruto has been charged by lawmakers with a number of offenses, including corruption, undermining the executive branch, and engaging in politics that divide ethnic groups. Eyes Of Lagos reports,
Gachagua called the claims “outrageous” and “sheer propaganda” at a press conference on Monday, alleging they were part of a scheme to remove him from power.
Following a hotly contested election in August 2022, Gachagua—a businessman from Kenya’s largest tribe, the Kikuyu—became Ruto’s deputy. Gachagua has persevered through past corruption scandals.
But in recent weeks, he has complained of being neglected by his supervisor and been accused of backing youth-led anti-government rallies that broke out in June.
Once the sometimes-lethal protests against unpopular tax hikes broke out, political tensions have been high and gaps between Gachagua and Ruto were revealed.
Police summoned a number of Gachagua-aligned MPs last month on suspicion of financing the demonstrations.
No legal charges have been brought against Gachagua, and no court investigation has been initiated.
However, parliamentarians have put forth 11 grounds for impeachment, including claims that, while earning only $93,000 year, he has accumulated assets worth 5.2 billion shillings ($40 million) since the last election.
The renowned Treetops Hotel in Kenya, where the then-Princess Elizabeth of Britain was residing when she became queen, was one of the listed assets.
Gachagua claims that his inheritance from his late brother and legal business dealings are the only sources of his wealth.
He has issued a warning that his fans will become uneasy if he is removed.
Kenyan MPs launched the impeachment process on October 1, with 291 members of parliament backing the resolution, considerably beyond the 117 minimum required.
The motion needs the support of two thirds of the National Assembly, the lower house, in order to be approved on Tuesday. The Senate, the higher house, would then take up the matter.
